essential message in Buddha’s teaching as you can observe in two more celebrated
Buddhist maxims that stress the same point:“Betake yourself to no external refuge.
Work out your own salvation with diligence”and“You are your own refuge; there is no
other refuge.”Bodhi explains this core principle in the following:
The Buddha rests his teaching upon the thesis that with the right method man can change
and transform himself. He is not doomed to be forever burdened by the weight of his accu-
mulated tendencies, but through his own effort he can cast off all these tendencies and
attain a condition of complete purity and freedom.^214The Four Noble Truths
Once enlightened and at the conclusion of his six-year quest, Buddha shared his
insights with others. Many of the essentials of that knowledge are found in the Four
Noble Truths.“These Noble Truths diagnose the human problem, describe its cause,
propose a cure, and prescribe a treatment.”^215 It is important to keep in mind that
although the Four Noble Truths (and the discussion of the Eightfold Path that fol-
lows) are treated as separate categories, they are interrelated, as each flows seamlessly
into the other.
The First Noble Truth is that life is suffering (dukkha). The basic rationale for Bud-
dha’s assertion that life is suffering is further explained by Bodhi:“The reason all worldly
conditions are said to bedukkha, inadequate and unsatisfactory, is because they are all
impermanent and unstable; because they lack any substantial or immutable self; and
because they cannot give us lasting happiness; secure against change and loss.”^216
Buddhist teachers point out that if your life is not characterized by some degree of
suffering at the moment, you need only look at the world to see the suffering of others.
Contrary to Western interpretation, Buddha’s philosophy is not a negative one in spite
of this first admonition using the word“suffering.”The objective of this first truth is not
to encourage pessimism but to promote a realistic view of the“human condition.”
The Second Noble Truth concerns the roots of suffering. Buddha taught that much of
our suffering is caused by craving, self-desire, attachment, anger, envy, greed, ignorance,
and self-delusion regarding the nature of reality.^217 Throughout the writings of Buddha,
students encounter advice regarding how to learn to see the world as it is. Buddha believed
that accepting the world was a major step toward enlightenment. He told his students,
“See the false as false. The true as true. Look into your heart. Follow your nature.”
The Third Noble Truth is an extension of the first two truths. It asserts that because
suffering has a cause, it can be eliminated. Put in slightly different terms,“The means to
end our suffering is ending the craving that causes it.”^218 Buddha taught that by clearly
seeing truth, you can put an end to suffering, ignorance, and craving. As is the case in
nearly all of Buddha’s counsel, the key component is the person. Notice how these
ideas become reinforced in the following famous instruction advanced by Buddha:
By your own efforts
Wakenyourself, watch yourself.
And live joyfully.
You are the master.
The Fourth Noble Truth is often called“theremedy,”as it is an explanation and
prescription for the end of suffering and a path to nirvana (a state of enlightenment).Core Assumptions 147Copyright 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).